It's an Adjustment
by littlesolo
Summary: Malia/Kira. Starting from 401 and told from multiple perspectives.
1. Chapter 1

Her head hurt. Malia would have gone into self defense mode, but even as she regained consciousness she smelled Kira all around her. She realized that the calming motion on her back was Kira's hand and that the pounding in her ears wasn't her heartbeat but a headache from the wolfsbane. Was it really just a little while ago that she had been dancing with Kira? She loved Stiles for being her first friend and helping her adjust, but in the time she'd been human again she'd only felt truly connected to another person when she was dancing with Kira. She thought she'd had that connection with Stiles, especially since they were sort of together. Kira was different though, and she hadn't known how much until they were dancing. She couldn't deny that her human side found Kira attractive, but her coyote did as well. Gathering her bearings, she felt safe as she realized she was sort of curled half in Kira's lap. Once Malia assured them she was okay, she went with Stiles to see if they could do anything about the door while Kira kept an eye on Scott. Malia couldn't help but notice that Kira didn't pull _him_ into her lap.

* * *

"_Is that what you'd do as a coyote? Leave her for dead?_"

Malia figured it was a human thing. She didn't get it. She had her friend, her Alpha, and ...possible mate? She didn't know what Kira was actually, since Scott was dating her. Well, if Lydia was important to Kira, then she'd stick around and get her back.

* * *

Each crackle of electricity made Kira's stomach roll as she heard Scott try to withstand the pain. Of all things, a pang of guilt entered her mind for judging Malia for wanting to run. Maybe the two of them should have tried if it might have kept this from happening. She didn't know how she'd ever forgive herself for this. She knew Scott would because he was just that kind of guy and she was being forced to. Stiles would too, but she wasn't so sure about Lydia and she wouldn't blame her. Still, there was that pang of guilt that wouldn't go away. At least Malia had an excuse: she was doing her best to survive as a coyote. All she'd had when she'd turned was everything she knew when she was _eight_. How Malia managed to survive for years was something none of them really gave her enough credit for. That or her efforts in trying to adjust back into society. Kira knew what she was but at the moment, it was that very thing that was being used against them. If they got out of here, she was going to be a better friend to Malia and get her Mom to teach her some control over her powers.

* * *

When they took Kira and Lydia to the others by the jeep, the first thing Kira did was wrap Malia in a hug. She could tell Malia was a bit shocked but she returned the hug tentatively. Kira then let her go and gave Stiles a loose hug as well. "I'm just glad you're both okay." She caught the look Stiles and Lydia shared and could tell they would talk later, but both were relieved as well. Malia had looked at Lydia and then at Scott, and nodded at them both with a faint smile as she made sure they were okay. She turned her head back towards Kira though after her comment. Kira's heart broke a little at the look of confusion and wonder in Malia's eyes. She'd been on her own so long she not only forgot to worry about other people, but forgot that other people would worry about her. When they all got in the jeep, Kira kept Malia's hand tucked in hers.

* * *

Any small sense of relief Kira had found in all of them at least being together again (minus Scott) vanished when she saw Malia take off. Her heart seemed to plummet into her stomach but she took off after the coyote before her fear could weigh her down. Katana at the ready, she shifted her stance while she scanned the darkness for any sign of Malia. As she turned, the wind blew around her and she was reminded of how the two of them had danced at the club. Kira knew she was awkward with most things, and dancing was no exception. It seemed to come naturally to the girl, and she had somehow extended that ability to her, because for what might have been the first time ever, her body knew exactly what to do. The two of them moved fluidly with each other and for a few precious moments, everything else seemed to fade away. It was wonderful. Dancing with Scott was nice, but it was never like this. He didn't just lead, he guided since she didn't know what she was doing and a part of her mind was always reminding her not to step on his feet.

A presence behind her had her spinning, but she stopped at the sight of an injured Malia. Tucking her sword she helped the coyote back to the jeep, letting her heightened fox senses make up for their slower pace. Malia had alerted her to the attackers at the club (she'd sensed they were there, but both she and her fox had been wrapped up in the coyote-girl in front of them) and she was happy to be able to return the favor.

* * *

"_Them__ I would have left, but not you._"

Kira turned her head towards the window to hid her smile. Malia had turned back slightly and caught her eye before replying to Stiles. Kira wouldn't have believed her anyway. She knew Malia had run off in an effort to protect them, attempting to the attacker from them at the same time. Otherwise, she would have totally shared Stiles' alarm. Lydia had closed her eyes and Stiles was concentrating on the road, so neither noticed Malia catch her eye in the mirror while her hand twitched on her lap. Kira twitched her hand in return and Malia gave her a small shy smile before turning her gaze to the window.

* * *

**AN: So, that's 401 Dark Moon. Should I continue? Do the other episodes too and not just Malia and Kira interactions but their interactions with the others as well (in regards to Malia/Kira, I mean)? Please review and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**EPISODE 402**

* * *

Shit. _Shit, shit, shit!_ Kira was going to kill her Dad later. Stiles was Malia's math tutor, Lydia was science, and Kira helped her with history. Since Kira would know the material ahead of time from her Dad, it just made sense, but last night they'd done as much review as possible before falling asleep. Malia had had some nightmares but Kira had managed to soothe her back into a peaceful sleep. She had woken up that morning to find the girl curled into her side.

Still, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the coyote girl as she was still trying to catch up in class and then searching for the answers among her notes. Kira spotted the physics textbook among the others on Malia's desk and remember her saying she had a hard time keeping all the facts straight. No wonder, with everything they were trying to cram in her head at once. As Malia sank into her seat in embarrassment, Kira sank in hers from guilt.

* * *

Of everything that was going on, a fight was something Malia was always up for. So when Lydia had told her about Peter Hale and told her that Scott was going to meet him, she jumped at the chance to be useful to the pack. She'd been with this group for almost a month now and after looking out for herself for so long, she felt kind of ashamed that she hadn't been able to offer anything of any real value to the group.

Stiles told her she was making progress, but every time she tried something she either said something wrong or got an "Oh, Sweetie" from Lydia. Fighting though, that she could do.

* * *

This? This was not fighting. This was more like that stupid dodgeball game in gym (_if you can't knock the asshole out with the ball, what's the point?_) except instead of balls, these guys had super strength arms covered in knives. She'd given it her best shot but a cut to her leg had her limping and made running hurt. It was as if the thing knew exactly where to hit to just hinder her and draw out the final kill. A glint of steel caught her eye as she scooted back with Scott (he having faired no better, despite being an Alpha) and suddenly Kira was there holding the creatures at bay with her sword. Kira made the mistake of turning to check on them and then was thrown over to them by one of the things. They were still trying to recover, but the wounds had been too exact and if Derek hadn't shown up, they'd all be dead.

* * *

Malia spent another night at Kira's house, this time because despite having Scott's Mom patch her up, Kira wanted to run the attack by her Mom and make sure there weren't any after effects from the bone freaks. Kira could tell Malia was uncomfortable, so she left the girl to her thoughts while she found out what her Mom might know. She came back to the room with her Mom and found Malia in an oversized t shirt and her underwear. Her Mom ran through some questions, some similar to the ones Scott's Mom had asked and then assured Kira that her friend would be fine. Before she left, Kira's Mom wished Malia sweet dreams. Malia continued to stare at the now closed door to the room while Kira changed. Kira was slightly relieved by this because the coyote might have noticed her eyes wandering down her strong, tanned, legs that seemed to go on and on. She then realized that Malia had that look about her again. A look that Kira couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I haven't...My Mom used to say that when she tucked me in" murmured Malia.

_Oh._

This time Kira went with her impulse and pulled Malia into a hug. Malia startled for a second before relaxing and resting her forehead against Kira's neck.

"How about I text it to you at night from now on? Or would that be weird?" asked Kira as she fiddled with the ends of Malia's soft hair.

"No. I mean, I'd like that" mumbled Malia as she sank further into Kira as she started to fall asleep. Kira covered them both up and turned out her light. By the time she readjusted herself behind Malia, the other girl was fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams, Malia" whispered Kira, and Malia nuzzled closer on her shoulder.

* * *

**AN: Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**_403_**

_Moving?_ Were her parents serious? A little part of her felt bad that after mentioning Malia, her mind drifted to thoughts of the girl in question so when her Mom mentioned Scott, she honestly hadn't known who she was talking about for a moment.

There was no _way_ she was moving.

* * *

_Nope._ Nope, nope, nope. Things she was good at: running, hunting, reading, and fighting. Math was not on that list, especially when you decided to just go and throw letters in there just for the hell of it. Malia had tried to make a run for it and had caught Kira's eye as she entered her science class before Stiles dragged her back into the classroom.

Stiles was doing his best to reassure her, but there was little point since Lydia's notes made about as much sense as a word find puzzle. She appreciated that Lydia was more straight forward with her answers and didn't turn everything into a joke. However, she could do without Lydia simply giving her the answers, she wanted to know how to do it for herself. Malia let out a sigh. She had practiced this with Scott once and with Kira numerous times just in case. She would really love to be able to do algebra without her claws making an appearance.

* * *

Being around Kira had a soothing effect on Malia so she decided that she'd tackle her precalculus while they watched the boys at lacrosse practice. Despite Stiles' tutoring, she left her green highlighter in her bag and kept her yellow highlighter in reach, but figured like most math, she'd be using the red highlighter the most.

Lacrosse was a game she didn't get. Catching a hard ball in a net on a pole didn't make sense. Neither did not being able to outright tackle the other players. Kira seemed to be enjoying herself...well trying to. Scott and Stiles weren't doing very very well against kids that weren't even on the team. Malia did her best to keep up with what was going on by Kira's reactions. Seeing Kira happy, it made Malia feel balanced. Her coyote was calm and she was able to keep a hold of her temper easier. Stiles' default was to make a joke, and while she knew he meant well, there were times she felt her best efforts deserved more than a laugh. Kira always went out of her way to acknowledge her efforts and it made her feel like she was actually making progress. However, she also knew wanting to see Kira happy sometimes made her act rashly.

Which is why she bet on Scott and Stiles.

She believed in her Alpha and her friend, but the way today's practice had gone, there was a good chance she was losing money. Thankfully, Scott and Stiles managed to keep her money in her wallet, but she was more thankful for Kira and her keeping that ball from hitting her head. Having won the bet, she tried to refocus on the number and formulas in her book and she hadn't sensed the ball coming at all.

And if she was honest, seeing Kira throw it back with such force was kind of hot.

* * *

Kira decided she'd put it off long enough. When Scott came and gave her a jersey for the team, she told him of her developing feelings for Malia. There was the fact that they had drifted apart and the ghost of Allison still lingered. Scott took it okay, he assured her they'd always be friends and always be close and gave her a hug.

* * *

Little did Kira know, Malia was having a similar discussion with Stiles that night. Stiles had seen it coming. He saw the way Malia looked at Kira. He used to look at Lydia that way. When he was with Malia, it was like being with a puppy. She'd give him puppy kisses and he loved them but she wasn't in love with him. She didn't doubt that she loved him, he knew she did. He was the first person to try and help her, despite her resistance, and the first to believe in her. He would continue to support her in any way she needed. Actually, he was impressed that she had realized the difference between the types of love she was feeling. After being alone for so long, Malia seemed to be struggling with the concept that others cared about her. He was relieved that the attraction seemed to be mutual. He wasn't sure what he would have done with a coyote with a broken heart. With Chris back and dealing with Kate, Stiles had a feeling Scott was having a harder time letting Allison go. They'd get through it though, they always did. And if Malia had a chance to be happy for the first time in years, who was he to get in the way of that?

* * *

**AN: Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**404**

Kira wasn't sure what to do. She was doing her best to help Malia study, but the coyote's gaze kept wandering towards the window to look at the moon. Tomorrow was a full moon and if Kira hadn't already been aware of how much Malia hated them, the anxiousness on her face would have told her.

Initially, Malia had been worried about hurting her Dad. Malia's father had taken a job some years ago outside of Beacon Hills that kept him away for weeks at a time, not wanting to stay long in the town where he'd lost his whole family. Now he was working hard towards a promotion so that he could be transferred back home. Meanwhile, Malia had assured him she was fine on her own and she was spending time with her friends and getting back into the rhythm of things. Each time they had one of their father daughter chats over the phone, Malia found that it was less of a lie.

Malia had discussed her concerns the first time Kira had invited her over for dinner with her family. Malia had explained that she figure that Kira's parents would know a bit more since they'd had more experience than just what had happen here in Beacon Hills.

The conversation had started with Malia apologizing to Kira for chasing her and scaring her at the school when she was still a coyote. Kira told her not to worry about it and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but she'd wished Malia hadn't mentioned it because _she_ hadn't mentioned it to her parents. Malia went on to explain that her sister's doll had been in Scott's bag and it was the only thing she had left of her. She told them how she had transformed for the first time while they were in the car and killed her Mother and sister. She couldn't remember if it was the crash that killed them or her attacking them, but she blamed herself either way.

Her father had hunted her for years, setting bear traps and shooting at her. She'd been grazed once and you could see the mark behind her ear, but her hair covered it most of the time. She wanted to learn to control herself more than anything, because if she lost control and killed her Dad, she was going to wish she'd have stepped on one of the bear traps.

Kira's Mom gave her the padded restraints, saying that the pads wouldn't leave any marks like chains would and she wouldn't have to explain them to her Dad. She also opened her home to Malia as a place to stay whenever she wanted.

Malia had been stuck in a state of shock and missed the shared look Kira had with her parents before they quietly left the table. Kira's Mom was just walking past her when Malia sprang up and wrapped her arms around her waist in a tight hug.

* * *

If she was honest with herself, the full moon scared Kira too. She hadn't had nearly as hard a time adjusting to her kitsune. She also saw how Malia was struggling at school and was afraid that adapting was too overwhelming and the urge to go back to being a coyote would be to strong.

"We care about you, you know" said Kira. Malia looked at her skeptically. "_I_ care about you." The coyote nodded and made herself comfortable in the bed facing Kira. "Sweet dreams, Malia" whispered Kira before they both let their dreams take them.

* * *

Malia headed over to Stiles' house first thing in the morning before school. Stiles held on to the restraints for her since he was the one who had been helping her. Scott had stayed with her during the last moon since he actually stood a chance when it came to stopping her. The bindings didn't look like they would hold much longer though, and that made her nervous.

* * *

Scott loved how his friends had all been more than willing to help the newest member to the pack. Malia was making progress and she was clearly trying her best to keep improving. The only thing that concerned him was her plan. Oh, it was a very Malia like plan of drugging someone and throwing them in the lake, but where had she learned the term chloroform and what it could be used for? Wait, wasn't Lydia her science tutor?

* * *

"_You know what they call a female fox? A vixen._"

Lydia was the one who said it, but the term had occurred to Malia as well. A number of times. After giving Kira an appraising glance, she gave Kira what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

Okay. There were somethings that they hadn't thought through. For instance, what if Kira was as graceful when she was trying to get someone's attention as she was when she was on the dance floor. Malia did her best to hide her wince. The way she saw it, Kira thought too hard about what she was trying to do instead of going with it. Maybe she could help her with that.

* * *

Liam Dunbar. That's who Scott's new beta was. After seeing what Stiles had found on the kid, she wanted to call Scott an idiot for turning him, but she knew he hadn't had a choice. This kid put her anger issues to shame and she was a little nervous that given what he was capable of before his wolf abilities, it might take more than Scott and her combined wolf strength to hold him.

Things didn't get better when it looked like there wasn't much more to Liam than anger. He reeked of it and it wasn't making things any easier for her. Her sense of frustration started her transformation and Stiles helped her to the basement and into the restraints.

She'd been wearing a large flowery shirt of Kira's all day. It wasn't really her style, but Malia hoped that having Kira's scent close would help keep her calm. Liam had smelled of so much anger and confusion that it overpowered Kira's scent. Stiles was doing his best to reassure her again, but she could feel the rage and an almost sense of bloodlust taking over. The bloodlust came from wanting him and everything else to just _shut up_. The music pounded through the floor and as her wolf senses seemed to go haywire, the voices of party goers alternated between muffled and deafening. She could feel the bindings beginning to break as she told Stiles to run, knowing she couldn't hold out much longer.

* * *

Kira felt awful for having left Malia, but she knew Scott needed her help with Liam. The kid was more than a handful and the fact that it had taken a blow to the head to settle him was not a good sign.

"She'll be fine" said Scott, drawing her from her thoughts. Kira gave him a worried smile. She was worried that with the new beta, they would forget how much the coyote still needed them.

"What if she runs?"

"Why would she run? Her Dad is here, her pack is here" asked Scott, throughly confused.

"Scott, this isn't a typical town. It's not like she came back to just go to high school. She came back to this mess with Kate Argent and someone hunting down supernatural creatures. She's had her Dad hunting her for years as a coyote, I'm sure the last thing she ever expected was to have someone hunting her in _human_ form. And despite all that, she's willing to put her life on the line for us over and over again."

"True. I guess I've been involved in all this werewolf stuff so long it just sort of doesn't phase me anymore. As for how willing, I'll admit she's making progress Kira, but…"

"She has, Scott. Lydia told her that Peter was dangerous and her first reaction was to come and make sure you had someone covering your back. Then the Berserkers attacked. Peter said he had to keep her from rushing them."

"She still thinks like a coyote sometimes" agreed Scott with a nod. Kira shook her head.

"No. She was looking out for her pack and her alpha. She was doing the same thing she did in the desert, drawing the attackers away from us so we had a chance to get away in case she couldn't kill them. And that's before she got a good look at them. When they came after the two of you, she stayed and tried to fight along with you instead of running away. She's trying to prove her worth to the pack and so far I think she feels she's failing. All of this is more than she could have ever expected to come back to and deal with all at once. I'm afraid that it'll get to be too much and she'll be tempted to go back to being a coyote."

Scott mulled over what Kira had said. They were all valid points, now that he saw them. He'd have to work hard to make sure Malia was forgotten about now that they had Liam to deal with. He turned to look at Kira. Clearly, she'd given this a lot of thought and it had been worrying her for sometime. He put his arm around Kira's shoulders.

"We'll deal with Liam, but we won't forget about Malia okay? She's part of this pack too." Kira nodded and took comfort in the fact that Scott had listened to her concerns and didn't find them silly. When you compared them to everything else going on it might seem trivial, but Malia meant a lot to her.

* * *

Aside from telling Stiles to run whenever she could, Malia was focused on not ripping him to shreds. She couldn't smell the scent of Kira on the shirt anymore, so she was trying to remember it. She was thinking about the sense of comfort and patience that Kira gave her. Kira did her best not to make judgements and helped her see why a different decision would be better, not just why hers was wrong. She was focusing on these thoughts even as Stiles released her and her body lunged towards him, claws first. She needed to get control! He was holding her by her shoulders as she thought of the kitsune and then suddenly her hands were normal again. So was the rest of her.

"You want to come with me to check on Scott and Kira?" asked Stiles, a broad grin on his face. She nodded and then threw her arms around him in relief before they headed upstairs.

* * *

Kira was elated that Malia had figured out how to control herself during the moon. Scott and Stiles went off after Liam while Kira went to find Lydia and Malia followed her. Malia stayed on the other side of the door just in case, while Kira went inside after she had spotted Lydia.

She wasn't sure what Lydia was talking about, but they need to get rid of everyone downstairs because it was going to be a long night.

* * *

**AN: Please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**405**

Kira and Malia had watched over Lydia while she desperately tried to figure out if there was anything left on the record. With a shared look, she and Kira agreed it was time to get Lydia to bed. Lydia had worn herself out by doing everything she could think of to the record from playing the other side to playing it backwards. Kira was briefly concerned that they had broken the girl, but she'd had all but passed out from exhaustion the moment she hit the sheets in the master bedroom.

She and Malia decided to bunk in the guest bedroom. Even though she knew her name was on the list, but it hadn't quite hit her yet. All she really felt was relieved that Malia's name wasn't on it. She was pulling the sheets over them when she caught Malia staring at her intently.

"What?"

"I'm going to do my best to not let anything happen to you" Malia promised. Kira gave her a smile as she touched her cheek.

"I know." Malia nodded and settled in for the night. Kira knew the pack would look out for each other, but Malia was letting Kira know she was important to her. Kira already knew this, but hearing it aloud in Malia's own little way warmed her heart.

* * *

Lydia knew that Malia had been only eight when she'd turned for the first time, but it wasn't until that morning that she grasped what that actually meant. She had woken up first and gone down to the guest room to wake Kira and Malia and was met by an unexpectedly adorable sight. Kira had an arm around Malia's waist and the coyote girl was curled into a ball and pressed into Kira's side.

In the art room, Lydia found Malia was less adorable. Apparently, Malia was basically a human puppy. Things like personal space alluded her still and she instinctually reverted back to her coyote habits. Lydia knew this as Malia hovered over one shoulder and then the other, waiting for Lydia to draw something. If only it was that easy. She finally got the human puppy to sit at the table, but knowing that wouldn't last long, she hoped she'd see something soon.

Too late.

Okay. So the puppy's idea hadn't been a bad one. It was actually probably the best shot they had.

As they made their way to the Sheriff's station, Lydia apologized for being so short with her all day.

"Because you don't know how to be a banshee and you're scared that any time you've figured something out it's either too late or someone is going to die? It's kind of what I'm dealing with trying to be human again. I'm either insensitive, manage to put my foot in my mouth, or am totally off base. Putting my foot in my mouth is something I happened to be good at when I was a coyote, by the way." It coaxed a genuine smile out of Lydia. Her little rant in the hallway had made her look crazier than the girl who had been recently released from the mental institution. It hadn't occurred to Lydia that Malia might actually feel bad about it. Actually, it looked like the coyote pup was the closest to understanding what she was going through, and that comforted her a bit.

* * *

Malia wasn't happy that she wasn't at the game herself to watch out for Kira, but she knew Scott and Stiles would be able to do a better job from on the field with her anyway. Besides, Lydia needed her here. The last thing they needed was to leave two potential targets out in the open, even if they were surrounded by cops.

She wasn't sure what she had expected to happen when two banshee's worked together. She had seen the girl at the hospital, and offered her what she hoped was a comforting smile. Smiling was one of those things she was working on. With Kira, it came naturally some how but with other people she had to remind herself what kind of smile she was going for. As a coyote, the only real smile she gave was predatory. As a human, it turned out there were a whole lot of different smiles and times when they were appropriate. Stiles had told her that it took more muscles to frown than it did to smile, but what the hell, she figured her human face could use the exercise.

* * *

"_Those are the numbers!_"

She'd remembered correctly. Meredith was the girl who tended to keep to herself and be a bit high strung. Whenever Malia had gotten overwhelmed, she'd go and sit with Meredith and they'd sort of ignore everything together. Malia knew they needed the next key, but she felt uneasy as Lydia pushed Meredith too far. She knew Lydia was pushing out of desperation, having lost her best friend not long ago and her other friends having just cheated death recently as well. There was also the fact that while some would see having supernatural powers as awesome, as Lydia had pointed out, her powers were chaotic and really went into action when it was too late. She supposed Lydia viewed them with the same sort of dread she used to view full moons before she learned control.

Making the connection between the numbers and algebra had been had been what she felt was a way out there guess, but she was glad it was helpful. At least that was until she saw a name she recognized on the list. _Kira's Mom_.

She spotted Parrish going into the room where Lydia was while she waited for Kira to answer her phone. She caught Lydia's eye to let her know she was close and watching out for her, but if there was anyone who could take care of herself, it was Lydia.

Kira answered on the third ring but it had felt like forever.

"Kira, there was a name on the list you should know about..."

* * *

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**406**

Kira had taken the day off to tell her Mom everything they knew so far about the dead pool list. Malia understood her reasoning, but she still felt lonely.

"_I could try catching their scent?_"

Malia let out a sigh as she pulled out a notebook. She had a feeling right after she said it that it was the wrong thing to say. Coyote senses weren't supposed to be talked about in the open, according to Scott and Stiles, but that didn't make sense since that's where everybody seemed to be dying and they would be the most useful. If the lists were anything to go by, there were more supernatural creatures in Beacon Hills than anyone had ever guessed. Teaming up and using all their senses together seemed like a good way to flush out Garret and any other lurking assassins.

"_Malia._"

What the hell? Was this what Lydia had meant by voices in her head? Or was some asshat in here just screwing with her?

"_Malia._"

Okay, no. She already had her own voice second guessing her often enough and her coyote alerting her to things all the time, she didn't have room in her head for anyone else. She stuffed her notebook into back into bag and started for the door. She would have thought her leaving would have made it clear that she needed to be excused, but her teacher apparently needed verbal confirmation. Whatever. It wasn't like math was going to magically make sense anytime soon anyway.

In the hallway she found Derek Hale. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to know him since the only time she'd really spent with him he'd been shrunken to seventeen again. He had saved their lives though, so that counted for something.

Um, someone must have told him how she'd been a coyote and yes she had honed those skills, but they hadn't carried over to her human form. Supposedly, she'd be able to smell the difference between Brett's scent and his emotions. All she smelled at first was sweat and arrogance. Oh wait, there it was.

* * *

She felt her nerves starting to get to her when she got the first whiff of gunpowder. Her coyote was on full alert. When they found the bullet shells, Malia felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Out of habit, she scanned the area for any sign of her Dad.

* * *

While fleeing from Beacon Hills sounded like the smartest course of action, she knew she wouldn't, even if it had been her idea. She had promised she would protect Kira and she intended to keep her promise.

Derek's description of Stiles made her smirk a bit. Stiles did sometimes come across as a bit much. However, maybe she was getting better at figuring things out, because Derek seemed to follow her train of thought and they seemed to be on track again.

* * *

Even though Derek had told her to wait where she was, the scent of the dead nearly knocked her back. This was different. It wasn't as if she hadn't been around death before, as a coyote she'd hunted to survive. But this...there was an overwhelming stench of decay and dried human blood. She'd averted her eyes to keep from counting the bodies, but her senses told her there were at least six. Derek found a survivor among them, but she hadn't cared, she just had to get away from the stench of death.

* * *

She was at back at Kira's when she got Lydia's call. Despite being in her sleep wear, she stepped outside to take the call. Her name was on the last part of the list. She'd expected as much. Then there was the news that Meredith had hung herself. _That_ had given her pause.

"Was she on the list?"

"What? She killed herself because I pushed her too hard again. She used her banshee powers against me, she was so scared" exclaimed a very distraught Lydia.

"Was she on it?" bit out Malia, as Kira knocked on the window at her. She held up her finger and nodded, telling her she'd be in in a second.

"Yes! She way on it, okay? Why?" growled Lydia.

"The last two hunters we found posed as students at our school. How hard do you think it would be to pose as an orderly? You just have to be slightly smarter than the patients and some of them aren't even that. The last message she gave us was in code. If she didn't tell you something tonight, maybe it's because she knew she'd be going back to them. It might have been another hunter Lydia, not you're fault."

* * *

After her call with Lydia, Malia went back inside and told Kira about the call. Kira could feel and edginess around Malia. If she'd been in coyote form, Kira would bet the fur on her neck would be standing straight up. She rubbed her hand down Malia's back, trying to get her to relax. She was having the same problem though, since the fact that two of hunters had been taken care of that day, she should have been more at ease. The part that was keeping them up though was the fact that there might be another one out there that had _always _been there.

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**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**407**

_PSAT testing_. Malia wasn't even sure what those letters stood for but she was hoping she was ready. Stiles was really not helping. Kira patted her and Malia let her head rest on her shoulder for a moment as she let out a groan of despair.

"Relax. You'll be fine" murmured Kira. Scott was saying something reassuring too, but her massive flop sweat attack kept her from paying attention. Well, along with studying all the practice material she could get from Lydia, she had also practiced keeping her claws under control while under stress so she was as ready as she was ever going to be.

* * *

Normally she couldn't get warm, but now all of a sudden she was entirely too warm. As she shrugged off her jacket, she let her eyes wonder the room. It looked liked even Stiles was having trouble with this.

As if these little circles were supposed to make it easier or less scary somehow. She'd already managed to get through the first twenty questions only to realize that she'd skipped a line of circles and had to back and fix all her previous answers. Malia looked up a second time and after seeing everybody's pencils moving so fast and turning pages she decided she wasn't going to do _that_ again. When the girl behind her fainted, Malia wasn't really all that surprised and she hadn't even reached the math portion yet.

* * *

That guy sitting with the tests wasn't very reassuring, but they went along with the CDC protocol. At least until Kira zapped one of them that is. Malia gently guided her quickly away before the scientists in yellow came back and tried to cart Kira away. At least she knew that Kira was being honest with her. Her nervousness was due to previous relationship with Scott instead of her attempting to lie to her.

* * *

Hey, she knew she was on the list. She just wanted to know where she came in terms of worth. The others would probably be killed off before her. She was just being practical. She didn't know what Scott and Stiles were being though. Why did it matter who opened the vault? Just get them in!

* * *

She had never felt so sick before. She was freezing and no matter how tightly Kira held her, she couldn't get warm. When she couldn't see, she felt more afraid than she could ever remember. Kira had had to leave her side to help Scott search for the cure and she felt the cold seep all the way down to her bones, despite the sweat pouring down her face.

* * *

Her eyes were focused on the sheet of paper on the floor in front of her. _Malia Hale_. She was vaguely aware of Stiles sitting down next to her, covered in the scent of someone's blood. But she didn't care. Stiles was her first friend, the one who was looking out for her. He and Scott knew this and kept it from her. Her Alpha and best friend were keeping things from her, and not just _things_ but basics like her last name.

* * *

Kira had told her father she was fine and told Scott that she was going to find Malia. After that, she ignored any calls from Scott and Stiles. She had guessed that the guys were keeping something from Malia. Honestly, she figured it was the same thing they were keeping from her. When Malia had blurted out that she knew she was on the list, Kira was surprised no one had told her yet. She wondered if Malia hadn't seen it, would they have told her that her Mom was on the list. She got the uncomfortable feeling they wouldn't have.

She knew Scott had vowed to try to save everyone, but he couldn't be with everyone all the time, the victims should at least know to be on alert.

Kira knew absolutely nothing about tracking, that was more Malia's field, so she just let her feet carry her. The first place her led her was to Malia's house. With her father out of town, it looked almost abandoned. Something told her, maybe it was her fox senses, that Malia had been here but had already moved on. She kept moving and as she walked farther into the forest, even though she knew there were hunters lurking, she wasn't afraid. She came to a stop a few feet away from Malia's old coyote den. She spotted Malia sitting on a large log.

"Malia?" The coyote didn't say anything so she took it as sign that she could come closer.

"Malia, just so you know, I didn't know about your last name. I would have told you" said Kira as she sat down next to the girl. Malia snorted, and Kira was briefly hurt.

"I know you didn't. You can't lie to your pack to save your life" replied Malia with a smirk, getting one from Kira as well. They sat in silence for a few moments. "Why didn't they just tell me?" asked Malia.

"I don't know. I think in some weird way, they thought they might lose you to Peter."

"Yeah well, Lydia already told me enough about him for me to know he's evil and crazy. Then when we were attacked by the Berzerkers, he ditched us so that didn't inspire a lot of love." Malia leaned and let her head rest on Kira's lap and Kira ran her fingers through Malia's hair just like she had in the vault.

Thinking back to the way this day had started, the most daunting thing she had been up against was the PSATs. Kira and Lydia were the only ones who knew how much this test had meant to her. It was a chance to show her Father that she had future that didn't involve a mental hospital. A chance to prove to herself that she was capable of being something more than just a wild coyote. The outbreak had taken that from her and she was worried that she couldn't do it a second time. Especially after having taken part of it and feeling she didn't do the best job.

Kira was thinking about earlier today as well. Today had certainly thrown them for some loops but none of them had seen the CDC coming. She wasn't sure if Malia thought this sort of thing was just standard or if she was just rolling with the punches, but she was always there for her pack. It didn't hit Kira until later that even with the breakout cleared up, they might have isolated her and kept her observation after her incident when she was having her blood drawn. Thankfully, Malia had gotten her out of there fast.

Kira had been feeling the effects as well, but Malia had been progressing faster than the rest of them. Stiles had left his jacket behind, but even with Scott and Kira sitting on either side of her could she get warm. Kira felt helpless as Malia got worse. Even when Stiles yelled through the wall a cure to Scott, Kira had been afraid it might have been too late for their coyote.

"I stopped by your house first..." started Kira.

"The house feels too empty without Dad there. Actually, it feels empty even when he is there but not so much? I don't know. It's just like we're both very aware that there should be two more people oat the table and we feel rude eating without them even though we know they're never going to show up. Well, I'm betting Peter would say I don't need to feel guilty about killing my Mom and sister since they weren't really my family" muttered Malia.

"Family is more than just blood. It's like a pack" stated Kira.

"Are we a pack? Or am I just a stray you guys are keeping around so that Peter doesn't use me?"

"Malia..."

"What? You and Lydia are the only ones being straight with me. Derek obviously doesn't know or he would have mentioned it when we looking for Brett's pack. Peter knows since it's probably why he asked me about my eyes when I first met him with Scott. What do I tell my Dad? 'I transformed and am the reason your wife and daughter, but don't worry, we're not blood related so none of it's your fault'? It's just another thing I have to hide from that broken man. Who knows if he'll even want anything to do with me if I ever do explain it." Kira continued to run her fingers through Malia's hair as she felt warm tears land on her jeans.

"I know it feels like you don't have anybody right now, but you still have me. I'm still here for you and I'm not going anywhere." Malia turned her head and gave Kira a long look. Just when Kira was about to ask what was wrong, Malia kissed her. There was an energy behind the kiss that was different from anything she'd ever experienced. Almost as if her kitsune was gathering a charge through the energy between them. When they separated, Malia's eyes were glowing and she held Kira's gaze for a moment before enveloping her in a tight hug. Malia kissed her again before the two of them made their way back towards the school to Kira's car.

That night when Malia was curled up with Kira, after Kira had whispered 'sweet dreams' and dozed off, Malia took comfort in the fact that while her life seemed to be in chaos, Kira would the one place in her life she could count on being safe.

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**AN: Please review! Not sure I like the way this chapter turned out so I may revise it later. Tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Unrelated One Shot**

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One of the first things Lydia did when Malia started school was take her shopping. It wasn't that Malia didn't have her own sense of style, it was just that they were all in need of some normalcy. She stole Malia away from Stiles despite his protests, and crammed her into Kira's car next to the fox before driving them all to the mall.

The boys had their brooding or whatever it was they did when they hung out together and the girls were in some desperate need of some time of their own. Now Lydia loved all things fashion and admitted that Malia had a certain swagger about her that worked (it certainly had Kira's attention) but she wasn't sure what to do in terms of clothes. She and Kira had stopped at Malia's house first, looking for her and Malia's father had given them some money to shop with, relieved that that was one task he was free of. There wasn't anything wrong with the clothes she'd been wearing, they simply lacked a uniqueness. They had clearly been than bland and neutral clothes that a Dad picks.

* * *

They were now sitting in the food court, as far away from other people as they could get.

"So, Malia, what do you look for in clothes?" asked Lydia as she sipped from her soda. Malia shrugged and munched a few of her fries before answering.

"I like jackets, but it's hard to find the right thickness. I used to have a fur coat so I'm always cold" explained Malia with her head tilted down in self consciousness.

"You wear shorts though" commented Kira as she wiped her mouth free of ketchup.

"Yeah. Having something covering my legs feels weird, like it might hold me back if I need to run. Then I'm still cold though." Lydia nodded. She could work with that.

* * *

This would have been a lot easier if Malia didn't have the attention span of a puppy. They barely made it to the store. They had past a Game Stop store on the way and Malia had gotten distracted by the demo version of a Resident Evil game. She was surprisingly good, considering the awkward Wii controls, but the zombies never stood a chance. Should a zombie attack happen, Lydia now knew who's side she'd be sticking to and honestly, anything was possible in this town. However, they were here on a mission.

Lydia and Kira were able to find an assortment of outfits that would not only look good on the coyote, but would be pretty durable given the types of situations they got into. Lydia also made sure her shirts wouldn't turn see through. The coyote might not think much of racing through the rain, but Lydia wasn't going to give every male in Beacon Hills a free show just because Malia wasn't thinking of her shirt.

It was odd. Lydia was sort of used to playing Mother to the pack but this was different. Now she was acting as a Mother to not only a coyote trying to be human again but also introducing the coyote into the world of the supernatural and everything that entailed. This had ranged from tampons and pads to hiding her claws and using her enhanced senses. Kira helped as much as she could even though she was still figuring out her kitsune powers herself. Kira tended to smooth out the edges on things like reminding Malia that the activities in gym were games and that the players were attacking in fun not in actual threat. Also, that when dealing with most people, her enhanced abilities shouldn't be used. It was a balance that Lydia admired Kira for trying to handle, because for every situation that Malia got wrong, there were three others that went right over her head.

Kira also appeared to be trying to hide her attraction to Malia, but Lydia wasn't sure why since the girl was oblivious as ever. Lydia could tell Malia was glad to be part of a group, she'd all about bolted towards the door when Lydia had come to get her. She knew the feeling. Being included as one of the guys was cool, but sometimes you just needed girl time. Lydia had been a bit unnerved when Malia had nuzzled her shoulder a bit when they had all been studying, but she realized that Malia missed human comfort. Personally, she found it hilarious how very red Kira turned when Malia tucked into her side.

They left the store successful and went back to Lydia's to relax with a movie. The coyote pup was nearly bouncing she was so happy and fox was smiling beside her. Things were looking up. The way Lydia was reading things, they would probably all survive whatever life threw at them next and she'd have a pair of girl friends she could count on to relax with too.

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**AN: Please review**


	9. Chapter 9

**Malia POV**

Malia wasn't sure what she'd done wrong. She knew that sometimes she took things too literally or said the wrong thing but this time she had simply protected her pack. They had gone over to the area where Malia and Derek had first searched for Satomi's pack and found the bullet shells.

Scott and Stiles had moved farther on when a two hunters had attacked. Malia had spotted the first on as he leveled his gun at Lydia's head and had let her instincts take over. She launched herself at the hunter and while her hand twisted the gun free of his hand, her mouth had turned to her coyote's and tore out the attacker's throat. She turned to see Liam taking on the other attacker. He was managing on his own, but a lucky shot stunned him long enough for the gun to be turned towards Kira. Malia wasn't sure what happened after that, only that there was the loud wet crack of the attacker's neck being broken and his weight falling from her hands.

Looking up, she was met with the relieved gazes of Lydia and Kira. Liam had semi-dazed look still on his face and a trickle of blood running down his head, but otherwise seemed fine. Malia hauled him to his feet by the collar of his shirt. Having checked all the members of her pack, she finally acknowledged the presence of Chris Argent and Peter Hale. They had come charging through the trees as the last hunter dropped. Chris kept his gun in hand should there be anymore surprises, while Peter nodded at her with a look that said he was mildly impressed. She could care less.

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**Scott POV**

Scott and Stiles came charging in from the other direction, clearly having tangled with a hunter themselves. The hunter had come out of nowhere and had gotten the drop on Scott. Thankfully, Stiles had been there with his bat. Scott rushed back, knowing that some hunter would use the opportunity to attack his pack. As he skidded to a stop, he saw the bodies of the hunters and that all the members of his pack alive and felt his heart rate start to slow to normal. Bent over and catching his breath, he spotted Chris and Peter and nodded to them both. Then he caught sight of Liam and Malia. Looking at the bodies he put together what had happened and nodded to Malia with a slight smile. She nodded back, letting him know she'd always protect her pack. As if there had been any doubt. If there was anything you could be certain about when it came to Malia, it was her loyalty to her pack.

"What are you doing here Peter?" asked Stiles. Peter merely gave him a casual shrug.

"Chris asked for my assistance on a matter and we heard a commotion. It looks like our help wasn't really needed though. The coyote took care of the the threat before we got here. Even your young Beta put up quite a fight." Peter said of this in his usual calm manner and Scott could practically feel the waves of anger coming off of Stiles. He'd noticed the blood covering Malia's shirt and around her mouth, but he knew it was from Malia's fierce protectiveness and coyote instincts and not out of some evil sense of pleasure.

Scott sighed as Stiles grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side.

"Something is off here Scott. Bullet shells but these attackers didn't use that type of gun. Peter just happens to show up after the attack. Extra suspicious since he's not on the list! And Malia goes all Cujo on the hunters! She ripped one of their throats out! You don't think Peter influenced that somehow? Maybe because their related or something? I don't like it." Lydia had walked over when Stiles first pulled him aside and had been pinching the area between her eyes through Stiles' ranting.

"Okay, _no_. Malia protected us. As the walking death sensor, I can tell you that I had _no_ idea they were there but when I turned to see what Malia was after, the guy had a gun pointed at me. She's not rabid Stiles, she just went with how she's been defending herself for almost a decade and guess what? It's effective! We're alive! Liam had the second attacker under control, and he would have bled to death but not before firing a shot at Kira. Malia just kept that from happening. And now, we are going to spend the night at the boat house."

"Wha- wha-what? Are you sure that's safe?" interjected Stiles.

Scott let out a deep breath and nodded. "Lydia's right. With the three of them together they'll be more than able to take care of themselves. Go on, we'll take care of Liam." Lydia gave him a smile as she squeezed his shoulder and herded the girls towards the car.

Scott cut off Stiles' protests before they could start. "Malia reacted out of coyote instinct. It's too hardwired into her for her to just forget it. And honestly, she probably reacted faster than even Derek or I could have." Stiles seemed to be brooding a bit still so Scott left him to his thoughts while he went and talked to Chris.

* * *

**Malia's POV**

"Despite the mood afterwards, you were amazing tonight Malia. Thank you for saving us" said Lydia as she drove them towards the boat house for the night. Malia gave Lydia a confused look and then turned to glance at Kira who was sitting in the back.

"Of course, you're my pack" replied Malia. She was a bit bewildered by how everyone seemed to be proud of her for some reason. She'd wiped what she could of the blood off her face when she had noticed Stiles staring at her face. She wasn't good enough at reading faces yet to know what was wrong with Stiles.

"What's Cujo?" she asked, seemingly out of the blue to the others.

"It's a horror movie about rabid dogs that attack and kill people" answered Kira as evenly as she could. She'd heard Stiles make the comment and had been surprised by how strong her urge to hit him had been.

"But I'm not rabid" _and he knew that_ she added mentally.

"And it's not like the guys were just frolicking through the forest. That's why we left him with Scott to deal with" stated Lydia as she parked the car in the drive.

* * *

**Kira POV**

Lydia had promptly crashed in her room, the fact that she'd nearly been killed having taken it's toll on her.

Kira had been exceedingly quiet all night, not even her usual nervous energy was present.

"Are you okay? You're being kinda weird" commented Malia. Kira took pity on the poor coyote and the truly confused expression on her face.

"You were really fast. I had just realized what was happening and then it was over. I don't know, I mean we've been threatened before, but this time it was literally just out of nowhere. Well, I guess it wasn't since we were obviously somewhere where a hunter had been before...but you know." She looked up to meet Malia's gaze only to see the girl shake her head in confusion. Kira sighed and struggled to find the words.

"Stiles is worried that your coyote instincts and how you protected us tonight make you vicious and somehow like Peter. I was there when we were attacked, and honestly, all I felt was envy. Peter might be your Dad but he didn't raise you. You actually raised yourself for the most part. Just...just know that... Don't worry about what Stiles thinks. Scott, Lydia, and I and even Liam know you did the right thing and are so glad that you were there." With that, Kira turned out the light, hoping that the darkness would hide her rapidly reddening face.

Malia didn't move for a long moment and then she curled into Kira's side and wrapped her arms Kira's waist. She nuzzled close into Kira's chest and Kira wrapped her arms around Malia's shoulders. She was not only grateful that Malia was in her life. It wasn't because they were possibly moving towards something more than friendship, but because Malia simply saw things a certain way and lived that way. It's how she'd survived as a coyote. They had been trying so hard to make her fit in as a human, that they had forgotten that not all parts of the coyote had to be erased. Malia protected her pack. In her mind that was all there was to it, and she would die doing so if she had to. It wasn't something Kira was sure she could have done, especially since part of her pack had been keeping things from her. She was in awe of this creature and vowed to let Malia know that her trust and devotion to her pack wasn't one sided and that she believed in her. Stiles could go ahead and worry all he wanted, but Kira wasn't going to let it or him get in the way of Malia's happiness by plaguing the coyote with self doubt.

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**AN: Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**408**

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Palo Alto. Malia had never left Beacon Hills before but now here she was in a hotel in Palo Alto with Kira as they waited for news about Kira's Mom. She'd shared a look with Kira's Dad and then walked Kira back to the hotel down the block. Kira had been doing her best to keep herself awake with coffee but after nearly nodding off into her cup for the third time, Malia was taking her to get some sleep.

Once they had changed into their sleepwear and were sitting on the bed, Malia was lost in thought. The walk had woken Kira up enough to realize that something that been off with Malia for a while but she just hadn't noticed.

"Malia, what happened?" asked Kira as leaned towards her friend.

"Talked to Peter. Then talked to Stiles. Stiles said the same thing you did, that I'm not like Peter. It was the same words...but it sounds...desperate. Like he's trying to convince me instead of reassure me. Convince himself too. But I know what I said. I told my Mom, my adopted Mom, that I wished they were all did. I mean, over and over and over you guys tell me that coyote or wolf- until we learn control of that part of us, it's all instinctual. What if that's just what my coyote did? Fulfill my stupid eight year old wish?" She wasn't sure when her tears had started but she wiped at them angrily with her hands and then the front of her shirt. She would have gone to the bathroom but Kira pounced and suddenly the fox was sitting in her lap.

"When I was eight I wanted to be Rogue from the X-Men" said Kira.

"And what? You're disappointed you turned out to be Jubilee instead?" asked Malia with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"I'm -? Hey! I kind of a-! _Not the point!_ Focus! The point is I was eight. So were you! If it's about instinct, your coyote knew you didn't mean it and that you loved your Mom and sister. They were your first pack. You lived with them, your scent was all over them, so even if you were just yelling at each other, your coyote would know who they were."

Malia hoped so, she really did. She wrapped her arms around Kira and rested her chin on her shoulder. Lydia had been the one to tell her about Peter and she trusted her to tell her the facts and not embellish, though it's not as if Peter's horrors really needed it.

"He showed me my adoption records" mumbled Malia.

"Did it say anything?"

"No. They were just paper and ink but nothing helpful. Peter gave me a lead though. He'd tracked down the woman he thinks is my Mother. She's called the Desert Wolf, which of course means Coyote. Which means I've never known my real family. Peter said he doesn't remember who she is because his sister Talia stole the memory from him. Based on what Lydia's told me, I'm guessing that was to keep me safe, until I was born and after. Still, my Mother probably gave me up to keep me safe, not knowing what Talia had done. But it means I've always been alone" continued Malia, almost to herself.

"Now _stop_ that!" said Kira as she shifted in Malia's lap and took her face between her hands. "Your adopted family loved you! Your adopted Dad still loves you and is working hard so that he can get transferred back to Beacon Hills to live with you. You've got Lydia and the others and you have me! You were alone for along time and I know that sometimes you forget that you aren't anymore. That's why Lydia and I are going to remind you as often as you need us too. Mostly me though. Lydia will too though and we have to do the same for her because she's the only Banshee in a group of were-creatures. She forgets she's not alone too."

Malia nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed that she'd let herself get so down, much less let anyone else see it.

"If you need proof, you're here being my cuddle buddy" said Kira with a sigh as she settled in for the night.

"Wait...what?" asked Malia, super confused having been pulled from her thoughts at the term 'cuddle buddy'.

"You had a shitty day, found out more questions than answers about your past, and don't look like you're going to get any answers anytime soon or easily. But what was the first thing you did? You shoved some clothes in a bag and came with me to Palo Alto" explained Kira as she snuggled into Malia's chest, this time too tired to be embarrassed by how she was nuzzling her cheek against Malia's breast.

"Of course I did, your Mom is seriously hurt. I can go and get food or whatever you and your Dad need while you guys are at the hospital. Or knocking your Dad out to make him get some sleep, which I wouldn't rule out your Mom asking me to do once she's awake" muttered Malia.

"Exactly."

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**AN: Please review!**


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